3 free days of Showtime starts today

The premium channel had been offering selected episodes for free online (www.sho.com/sho/video/full-episodes), but today through Sunday, TV viewers can induldge in a wide swath of what the network offers.

Access varies, though, among TV providers.

For most, the deal includes Showtime on-demand, so viewers can pick and chose from "every season" of the likes of Homeland, Weeds, Californication, Shameless, Dexter, Episodes, Nurse Jackie, The Borgias and The Big C, as well as the inaugural seasons of House of Lies, Inside Comedy, and Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States.

But the Dish network, DirecTV and Cable One seem to be offering only the main Showtime channel, according to the Free Preview Weekend website, www.sho.com/sho/free-preview/1.

Comcast and Suddenlink have just on-demand. Time-Warner and Mediacom are offering both. AT&T and Verizon have Showtime, Showtime on Demand, and Showtime Anytime.

Because access varies so much, it's advisable to test which channels work on your system.

Scheduled Showtime programs include:
-- Season premieres of Shameless, House of Lies and Californication in a Sunday night block starting at 9 p.m.

-- Movies, such as Iron Lady and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part I.

-- Sports shows, including boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation, an encore of the debut of 60 Minutes Sports, and a welterweight championship match.

Not included by any provider seem to be a host of other Showtime channels, such as Showtime 2, Showtime Women, Showtime Beyond, and Showtime Family Zone.

For more on the free weekend, go to www.sho.com/sho/free-preview/1. For a schedule of Showtime's channels, go to www.sho.com/sho/schedules/index#/index.